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Where does the word "biopsy" come from? It comes from Greek bios, and was adopted directly into English (1890s).
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Where does the word "biopsy" come from? It comes from Greek bios, and was adopted directly into English (1890s).
Biopsy’s story begins in Greek: bios meant “life.” Life, combined with opsis (a viewing, a sight). It reached English by 1890s as biopsy. Coined for the medical examination of tissue removed from a living body. Today, biopsy means the medical removal and examination of tissue from a living body.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient bios "life", life, combined with opsis (a viewing, a sight).
- Stage 2 · English · 1890s biopsy "the examination of tissue from a living body", coined for the medical examination of tissue removed from a living body.